Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Powerful Stuff on piano
- G minor
- 2/2
- 160 BPM
- 2014
- Easy
Learn Powerful Stuff in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: F – Gm – Eb – Bb
Powerful Stuff sits in G minor: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: F is F, A and C; Gm is G, Bb and D; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; Bb is Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FVIIGmiEbVIBbIII- FF · A · C
- GmG · Bb · D
- EbEb · G · Bb
- BbBb · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Island pulse
Three, three, two: the island rhythm in so many pop hits. Musicians call it root bass · tresillo 3-3-2 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Sleep-in chords
Quiet for half the bar, then three chords wake up near the end. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 160 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Eb – F – Gm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFGm
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Questions about Powerful Stuff
What chords are in Powerful Stuff?
The loop is F – Gm – Eb – Bb (bVII – i – bVI – bIII) in G minor, and the song ends on Eb – F – Gm.
What key is Powerful Stuff in?
G minor, at about 160 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Powerful Stuff?
Island pulse: root bass · tresillo 3-3-2, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Powerful Stuff easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.